The Emperor of All Maladies

[Mtngrl]

I recommend this book for anyone who would like to know more about cancer. The author calls it a "biography" of cancer, as if it is someone and not something. There's a good description of the stop-and-start discovery of Herceptin. The writing style is lively; not at all dry or academic. Real stories of people with cancer, past and present, help lend authenticity and human interest. I just moved to the Boston area a little less than a year ago. I found it especially interesting to know who Farber was, and how the Jimmy Fund got started.

[LoisLane]

Hi Amy I saw Dr. Mukherjee interviewed her on TV in Toronto. He was wonderful. I had heard about this book before but after seeing him and listening to this wonderful kind brilliant man I went up to Indigo (like for Barnes and Noble?) and purchased it. It is a fascinating book. By the way Amy you have an AMAZING smile!

[BonnieR]

It fascinated me too, especially when it hit some "best books of the year" lists. After reading it, I passed it on to my oncologist!

[Mtngrl]

I recommended it to a friend of mine who has had leukemia three times. He wasn't interested. But I'm the sort of person who wants to know as much as possible.

[tricia keegan]

Thanks Amy, I'll look for this!:)

[Henny]

i'm just finishing this book and it's a great read. it really put a lot of things about cancer together for me
I got 2 recommendations for it in the same day so had to get a copy from the library. My husband recommended it after hearing Dr Mukherjee at a work conference and my brother who's wife is dealing with stage 4 uterine cancer also recommended it.

[Joan M]

Fascinating book. So was Dr. Otis Brawley's book, How We Do Harm. Heard him speak in D.C. at the NBCC's annual summit this year.

Joan

[Mtngrl]

Muckerjee does a great job explaining why radical mastectomy was never the right surgery, and why/how it can be that five year survival rates are not the right way to tell if early detection = cure.

['lizbeth]

I just finished reading the book as well. My oncologist had mentioned it to me. It really clarified the lack of significant progress on treating cancer until the last few decades.

Tricky Dick might have resigned in disgrace, but I wonder how many lives will eventually be saved because he started the War on Cancer. But if it wasn't for Mary Lasker to organize Farber, the American Cancer Society, and Congress to fight this disease I wonder if we would have the treatments we have today.

You can truly see in the book how 1 person can make a difference.

[karen z]

Heard it was a serious page turner.

[carlatte7]

I downloaded it to my ipad from the kindle ap...read it in a day!